Resumen

SILVA, Sara Pires da; SAMPAIO, Joana; SILVA, Cristiana Teixeira da  y  BRAGA, Raquel. Child safety in preschool years: what do caregivers know?. Nascer e Crescer [online]. 2017, vol.26, n.4, pp.221-226. ISSN 0872-0754.

Introduction: Accidents in the early years of childhood are the leading cause of morbidity and premature mortality. This study aimed to assess preschool children caregivers’ knowledge about child safety. Methods: Cross-sectional study, using a structured self-administered questionnaire to caregivers in a Family Healthcare Unit, between September and December 2014. Results: Fifty-six caregivers agreed to participate, 80% females, median age (minimum-maximum) of 34 (22-63) years, caregivers of 99 children, with a mean 1.7 child/family. Eighty-nine percent routinely search about child safety and 37% states that it is topic discussed in all child healthcare visits. Only 14% answered all road safety questions correctly and despite 95% use a child-restraint system, only 18% applies it properly. In drowning prevention, only 31% promotes the use of inflatable swimming armbands and 11% of caregivers allows unsupervised play in the bathtub. In relation to falls prevention, we highlight that baby walkers are handled by 41% and only 29% of caregivers perform all appropriate preventive measures. Burn avoidance was the subject with greater shortcomings, with a total of 27% correct attitudes, and none of the caregivers answered accurately to all questions. On the other hand, choking and poisoning were the areas with higher rates of correct answers (54% and 41% respectively). Conclusions: Child safety proved to be a caregivers’ concern. However, daily incorrect behaviors are still common. Health care professionals have the responsibility to promote more effective awareness programs and approach this topic to caregivers more regularly in their practice.

Palabras clave : Child Safety; Health Education; Intervention; Primary Prevention.

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